1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
There were suggested omnidirectional image capturing apparatuses capable of capturing an omnidirectional)(360°) subject using an omnidirectional image capturing optical system having a reflection surface with a rotationally symmetric shape (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-192220 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-131738). The omnidirectional image capturing apparatuses condense an omnidirectional subject image incident on a reflection surface of an omnidirectional image capturing optical system and permit an image capturing element to pick up the subject image.
The omnidirectional image capturing apparatuses generate an annular image obtained by capturing the omnidirectional subject by the image capturing apparatuses (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-304532). The annular image is obtained by capturing a subject so that the shape of the subject is distorted in an annular shape by the optical characteristic of the omnidirectional image capturing optical system. Therefore, in order to view an image in a state where the distortion of the subject is corrected, the annular shape has to be converted into a long-rectangular-shaped panorama image by cutting and developing the annular image in a radial direction at a position, for example, as disclosed in
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-304532.